Media sharing and communication system

ABSTRACT

A media sharing and communication system, including a recording mechanism that records a desired portion of media upon activation by a first individual user, a first user transmitter/receiver that transmits the portion of media and a message generated by the first individual user regarding the portion of media to a second individual user and is capable of transmitting a message to a second individual user, a confirmation mechanism that confirms that the second individual user is authorized to view the portion of media, a notification mechanism that notifies the first individual user if the second individual user is not authorized to receive the portion of media, a second user transmitter/receiver that receives the portion of media and voice message upon authorization of the second individual user, a search mechanism for searching for media and products used in media, and a video recording mechanism for recording and sharing videos of users.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to generally to media sharing andcommunication systems and methods of providing the same.

2. Background Art

Individuals having common bonds, both men and women, congregate togetherto watch events such as sports, theater, or otherwise. In one particularaspect, it is common for individuals to watch television programmingincluding movies, sports, politics, or otherwise. This may occur in apublic setting, such as bars, or in a private setting, such as one'shome. During these programming events, individuals engage indiscussions, exchange of ideas or beliefs, cheering or even badgeringone another.

With the expansion in relationships between individuals, it is notalways possible for individuals to participate in viewing events orprogramming together. This is particularly the case after individualsseparate over time, such as after military service, college, orotherwise. However, recently it has become more common for individualsto maintain long distance relationships with one another. To thisextent, various internet service providers have offered networking andcommunication systems between individuals. They provide the ability tosend public and private messages to others in their networking group.They also provide the ability to share profiles and preferences with oneanother so as to exchange information. Examples of such networkingsystems include FACEBOOK®, LINKEDIN®, TWITTER®, or otherwise.

However, while these and other networking means have provided some meansfor individuals to maintain contact, they do not effectively replace theability for individuals to interact with one another, particularly whenit comes to events and more particularly with television programming.

In view of the foregoing, there is a need for systems and methods toallow individuals to continue to enjoy events and programming together,without having to be at the same location. This allows for expandednetworking in different aspects than before.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides for a media sharing and communicationsystem, including a recording mechanism that records a desired portionof media upon activation by a first individual user who is not a contentprovider, the portion of media being less than a full media episode, afriend request mechanism for sending and receiving friend requestsbetween users to be approved to receive and share media and wherein thefriend request mechanism suggests friends who have similar interests ofthe first individual user, and wherein the friends are searchable byinformation chosen from the group consisting of name, user name, gamertag, telephone, address, and email, a first user transmitter/receiverincluded in a first user system that transmits the portion of media anda message generated by the first individual user regarding the portionof media to a second individual user who is not a content provider, thefirst user system including a first user interface having an inputdevice and screen view that is generated by software stored on a memorydevice of the first user transmitter/receiver, the first user systemincluding a user profile generator interface and a store section forshopping for products and listing products for sale, a confirmationmechanism that confirms that the second individual user is authorized toview the portion of media and a notification mechanism that notifies thefirst individual user if the second individual user is not authorized toreceive the portion of media and notifies the second individual userthat the portion of media cannot be received due to programmingconfiguration subscribed to by the second individual user, a second usertransmitter/receiver included in a second user system that receives theportion of media upon authorization of the second individual user; thesecond user system including a second user interface having an inputdevice and screen view that is generated by software stored on a memorydevice of the second user transmitter/receiver, the second user systemincluding a user profile generator interface and a store section forshopping for products and listing products for sale, a search mechanismthat allows the first individual user and second individual user tosearch by keywords for media and products used in media, and a videorecording mechanism that allows the first individual user to record avideo of themselves and share the video with the second individual user.

The present invention also provides for method of sharing media by afirst individual user searching for media of program information,programming shows, movies, concerts, sporting events, online games, orcommercials by keywords and selecting a portion of media returned insearch results, the first individual user recording a message of video,text, voice, emojis, images, or combinations thereof, transmitting theportion of media and message to a second individual user if the secondindividual user is authorized to view the portion of media, and thesecond individual user viewing the portion of media and message.

The present invention also provides for a media sharing andcommunication system including a recording mechanism that records adesired portion of media upon activation by a first individual user whois not a content provider, the portion of media being less than a fullmedia episode, a friend request mechanism for sending and receivingfriend requests between users to be approved to receive and share mediaand wherein the friend request mechanism suggests friends who havesimilar interests of the first individual user and wherein the friendsare searchable by information of name, user name, gamer tag, telephone,address, and email, a first user transmitter/receiver included in afirst user system that transmits the portion of media and a messagegenerated by the first individual user regarding the portion of media toa group of individual users who are not content providers, the firstuser system including a first user interface having an input device andscreen view that is generated by software stored on a memory device ofthe first user transmitter/receiver, the first user system including auser profile generator interface and a store section for shopping forproducts and listing products for sale, a confirmation mechanism thatconfirms that the group of individual users are authorized to view theportion of media and a notification mechanism that notifies the firstindividual user if any one of the group of individual users is notauthorized to receive the portion of media and notifies the one of thegroup of individual users that the portion of media cannot be receiveddue to programming configuration subscribed to by the one of the groupof individual users, a plurality of user transmitter/receivers includedin a plurality of user systems that receive the portion of media uponauthorization of the group of individual users; the plurality of usersystems including a plurality of user interfaces having an input deviceand screen view that is generated by software stored on a memory deviceof the plurality of user transmitter/receivers, the plurality of usersystems including a user profile generator interface and a store sectionfor shopping for products and listing products for sale, a searchmechanism that allows the first individual user and second individualuser to search by keywords for media and products used in media, and avideo recording mechanism that allows the first individual user torecord a video of themselves and share the video with the plurality ofindividual users.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other advantages of the present invention are readily appreciated as thesame becomes better understood by reference to the following detaileddescription when considered in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 illustrate a schematic view of a media sharing and communicationsystem according to the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic view of another media sharing andcommunication system according to the teachings of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic view of another media sharing andcommunication system according to the teachings of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic view of another media sharing andcommunication system according to the teachings of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a screen-shot of an exemplary user interfaceaccording to the teachings of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally provides systems and methods for sharingand exchanging media between individuals with a media sharing andcommunication system 10, shown in the FIGURES. The exchange of media canbe based on known interests of others.

“Individual” as defined herein, refers to an individual user of media,and not a media content provider or company.

“Media” as used herein, refers preferably to a short portion of media,or a clip i.e. less than a whole video, movie, television show, song,commercial, etc. However, full portions of media can also be shared.Also, screenshots of media can be shared. The portion of media can beany length of time, such as 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 25 seconds, 1 minute,2 minutes, 5 minutes, or other lengths.

The media can also be an online game, and users can record portions ofthe game they are playing, allowing other users to see highlights,records, achievements, or in general plays they have made. The onlinegame can be played on systems such as Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo DS, orother web-based games through the Internet.

Advancements through the features of the present invention provide aTUBEMAIL™, TUBESHARE™, YOUSHARE™, communication system that allowsindividual users, who share the same cable or satellite provider, theability to record and share portions or full episodes of sportingevents, movies, shows, or otherwise along with messages regarding themedia.

Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of a media sharing andcommunication system 10 is shown. The system 10 includes a media contentprovider 12 configured to provide media content to a plurality of usersystems 14 over one or more networks 16. The system 10 includes atransmitter 18 configured to transmit media, particularly mediaprogramming, to the user systems 14 over the one or more networks 16.The system 10 further includes a receiver 20 configured to receivemedia, or media information including identification information, fromthe user systems 14, over the one or more networks 16. The plurality ofuser systems 14 are configured to receive media, such as televisionprogramming, from the media content provider 12. In one exemplaryembodiment, the user systems 14 include a user transmitter/receiver 22,in communication with the media content provider, a display screen 24for viewing media content received by the user transmitter/receiver, andin one particular exemplary embodiment a digital recording device 26 forrecording digital information received by the transmitter/receiver 18.In one particular configuration, the user transmitter/receiver 22 isfurther configured for transmitting data stored by the digital recordingdevice 26.

In one exemplary mode of operation, digital media is transmitted orstreamed by the media content provider 12 to the plurality of usersystems 14. The media transmitted by the media content provider 12 maycomprise any media transmitted by a network including programming shows,movies, sporting events, or otherwise. The transmitted media is receivedby the user systems 14 through the one or more networks 16. The mediareceived by the user transmitter/receiver 22 is further transmitted tothe display screen 24 for viewing. During viewing, once the individualuser of the user system 14 determines they wish to share media content,the digital recording device 26 is activated to record the desired mediaor record information pertaining to the desired media. The media canalso be stored and saved on non-transitory computer readable medium onthe digital recording device 26 for sharing at a later time by the user.The digital recording device 26 can also copy the media for storage fora limited time instead of recording. The individual user of the usersystem 14 generates a message (which can be a text message, a voicecommentary message, information related to the location of the media, orcombinations thereof) and the recorded media or record informationpertaining to the desired media along with the message is thentransmitted to another user system 14 (i.e. a second user system 14),via the network 16, through the user transmitter/receiver 22. It shouldbe understood that text messages can include emojis. Messages can alsoinclude image files, such as memes, gifs, stickers, or other files.Dissemination of media from one user system 14 to another user system 14may be based upon selection by an individual user of the first usersystem 14, based upon user profile set up by an individual user of thefirst or second user system 14, or otherwise. In other words, the mediacan be selectively distributed to individual users based on theirpreferences, including an indication of desired media content. Once therecorded media or media information is received by the second usersystem 14, the second individual user selectively reviews the messageand views the media. In case the first individual user does not send amessage along with the portion of media, the second individual user caninitiate dialogue with the first individual user and send a message tothe first individual user. For example, if the first individual usersends a clip from a TV show without a message, and the second individualuser is confused as to why they received the clip, they can send amessage to the first individual user to ask them why the clip was sent.The first individual user can send messages either to a secondindividual user alone, or to a group of individual users that the firstindividual user can select to share the message with. When sent to agroup, this functions as a group chat.

In greater detail, with reference to FIGS. 1-4, the media contentprovider 12 is configured for disseminating media to a plurality of usersystems 14. In one exemplary embodiment, the media content provider 12comprises a cable television provider, satellite television provider,online movie or other media provider, a media provider throughapplications on a smartphone or tablet, or otherwise. The media contentprovider 12 provides assortment of media including audio/visual media,identification information or otherwise. The media provides one or more,or plurality of programming for the user systems 14. Examples ofprogramming available through the media, without limitation, includesmovies, network programming, sporting events, concerts, online games, orotherwise. The media disseminated to the user systems 14 may be streamedthrough or stored on local hard drive of the media content provider 12or be accessible through a cloud.

The transmitter 18 of the media content provider 12 is configured todisseminate media to a plurality of user systems 14 over one or morenetworks 16. In one configuration, the network comprises a hardwirednetwork, such as a cable network extending from the media contentprovider 12 to the user systems 14. In another configuration, thenetwork comprises or includes a wireless network configured forbroadcasting signals through radio waves or otherwise. In the latterconfiguration the media content provider 12 includes a satellite dish orother means for broadcasting media. It is contemplated that the mediadisseminated from the media content provider 12 may be streamed throughthe media content provider or stored on one or more digital recordingdevice. Any user transmitter 18 or receiver 20 can include wirelesscommunication links for receiving media and media content providers 12can disseminate media through wireless communication links.

The receiver 20 of the media content provider is configured to receiveinformation from the user systems 14. In one configuration, the receiver20 records data transmitted by the user systems including media, programinformation, both or otherwise. Accordingly, in view of the manypotential user systems 14, it is contemplated that the receiver 20includes many data storage devices. In another configuration, thereceiver 20 is further configured for transmitting the received orrecorded media to another user system 14, according to a request by theoriginating user system 14.

In one particular exemplary embodiment, referring to FIG. 2, thereceiver 20 is configured with suitable software for reviewing mediatransmitted by a user system. In this configuration, it is possible forthe receiver 20 to review the identification information of the mediatransmitted by a first user system 28 and confirm that a designatedsecond user system 30 is authorized to receive the media. In thisconfiguration, the receiver 20 confirms that the media transmitted bythe first user system 28 is viewable by the second user system 30through the viewing package held by the second user system. For example,should the first user system 28 transmit media from a first channel thereceiver 20 confirms that the second user system 30 is authorized toview media on the first channel. Should the programming subscribed bythe second user system 30 include the first channel then the second usersystem is authorized to receive and view the media along with anycommunication attached therewith. Should the programming purchased bythe second user system 30 not include the first channel then the seconduser system is notified that media could not be received due toprogramming configuration subscribed by the second user. Also, the firstuser system 28 is notified that the second user system 30 is notauthorized to receive the media due to programming subscription of thesecond user system. The authorization of the second user system 30 canalso be automatic or not needed if all users are subscribed to aparticular streaming service or channel that automatically allows themaccess to content therein.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the user system 14, e.g. first user system28, second user system 30 or otherwise, include the usertransmitter/receiver 22, which is configured to receive media from themedia content provider 12 and in one particular exemplary embodimenttransmit media and/or communication to the media content provider 12 andanother user system 14. In one exemplary embodiment, the usertransmitter/receiver 22 is similar or includes a cable box, satellitereceiver or similar devise commonly used to receive broadcasted digitalprogramming. It should be appreciated that the transmitter/receiver 22may comprise a single unit or several units. The usertransmitter/receiver 22 can also be a suitable mechanism for receivingdata within a smartphone or tablet.

The user system 14 further include display screen 24 configured todisplay media received by the user transmitter/receiver 22. The displayscreen comprises any suitable display screen including standarddefinition televisions, high definition televisions, monitors orotherwise. The display screen 24 is in communication with thetransmitter/receiver 22 through suitable connecting cables or otherwise.The user systems 14 further includes digital recording device 26configured to record media received by the user transmitter/receiver 22.Examples of suitable digital recording devices 26 includes DVRs orotherwise. The digital recording device 26 is in communication with thetransmitter/receiver 22 through suitable connecting cables or otherwise.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5, the user systems 14 further include suitablesoftware for generation of a user interface 32 that is useable with aremote keypad, mouse and/or other user interface devices (smart phones,tablets, or other portable devices). A smart phone or tablet can also beused as a remote control (to allow for easier messaging and use ofemojis and general use of the user interface 32) in combination with atelevision or larger computer screen. In one exemplary embodiment, thesuitable software for generating the user interface 32 is stored on amemory device of the user transmitter/receiver 22. In the configurationshown in FIG. 5, the user interface 32 provides means for composingmessages (whether text, video, or voice) and attaching media segments,e.g. audio, video and/or identification information, to the composedmessage. The completed communication is then sendable to other usersystems 14. An instant messaging exchange can be located across thebottom of the user interface 32. In the configuration shown, the userinterface 32 includes a ‘FRIENDS’ section indicating users of other usersystems 14. The user interface 32 further includes ‘NEW’, ‘REPLY’ and‘FORWARD’ icons for creating, responding and forwarding communications,which may include media. The user interface 32 further includes ‘INBOX’section listing communication received from other user systems 14including ‘FROM’, communication or media ‘SUBJECT’, date ‘RECEIVED’, andfile ‘SIZE’ In one exemplary embodiment, the user interface 32 includes‘Banner Add Space’ for displaying relevant marketing or advertising tothe user of the user system, which may be based upon a user profile(including age, gender, location, interests such as favorite televisionshows, actresses or actors, sport teams, soap operas, musician, band,celebrity commercials or otherwise), transmitted or received mediaand/or communication, or otherwise.

The user interface 32 can also include a store section wherein users canshop for products directly from their user system 14. The store sectioncan include products that are directly advertised to the user as above,or products that may be of interest to the user based on their userprofile (i.e. targeted to the user based on things that they like or arefollowing their profile). The store section can include links toproducts on outside websites, such that when the user clicks on theitem, they are directed to an outside website to complete the purchase.The store section can also receive meta data (or other data tagged withinformation) from programs that the user is watching that generateslinks to products shown in the program so that the user can purchase theproducts. The program can automatically push this data to the usersystem 14. For example, if the user is watching “The View”, and theylike the reading glasses that a co-host is wearing, a link can begenerated for those glasses that the user can click on and buy theglasses. Users can also gift products to other users in the system. Forexample, users can gift a streaming package or digital gift cards toother users. Gift cards can be added to the other user's user profilefor purchasing media content or other products that they desire. Userscan also gift products (such as those advertised based on the otheruser's profile, or listed on a “Gift Me” section of the user's profilethat is viewable to other users in which the user has liked or selecteda particular item that they are interested in having purchased for them)and have them shipped to another user. Users can also list their ownproducts for sale in the store section to other users, as well asadvertise their products to other users and upload their ownadvertisements or commercials.

The user interface 32 can further include a search mechanism that allowsindividual users to search for media or particular scenes in media aswell as products. Media can be searched by users by keywords (such asany identifying information in a particular scene or moment, landmarks,actor name, director name, type of media such as commercial, sportsevent, movie, or tv program, genre of media (drama, comedy, news,documentary, etc.), or combinations thereof located in the file name,file description, or meta data. If a media file itself has identifyinginformation within scenes, that can be searched. Clips or portions ofmedia can be saved by users (such as individuals, actors, or directors)in their account and can be searchable. For example, a user can searchfor “Scene in Forest Gump, when Forest runs through water at theNational Mall in DC”. Any clips/portions returned by the search resultscan then be selected and shared with other users or edited further (toselect a particular scene or moment) and then shared. Actors can alsonarrate scenes and explain to viewers what was going on in their mindduring that scene and provide the scenes as clips for users to share.Media can be searched to find items for users to make purchases (such asclothing, shoes, jewelry, electronics, or home items) that appear inmedia. For example, a user can search for Ann Hathaway because they likethe dress she had on in the movie “The Intern” at a certain scene. Thesearch results can provide a link to purchase or a link to purchasewithin the store section as above. The search mechanism allows users tofind content without having to leave the platform of the user system 14.

The user interface 32 can include a video recording mechanism, whereinusers can record a video of themselves and share the video with otherusers through the user system 14. For example, users can recordthemselves reenacting scenes from movies, shows, commercials, videogames, etc. The video recording mechanism can use sounds from any media(background music or other sounds) to bring reenactments to life. Userscan also speak along with their favorite scenes or actors for performingcomplete in sync voice overs. Users can also create challenges withother users to create reenactments, which promotes social use of themedia sharing and communication system 10. Users can also just create avideo of themselves and speak about the media that they have viewedand/or shared with other users.

In one exemplary embodiment the user system 14 includes suitablesoftware and user interface 32 for generating a user profile and attractother users or followers from social networks such as FACEBOOK®,TWITTER®, or otherwise, based upon the type of programming the userviews. The user profile includes information of an individual user ofthe user system 14 to provide an indication of personal preference. Forexample, information that can be inputted into the user interfaceincludes types of media, e.g. audio, video or identification informationthat a user enjoys. Other user preferences include programming likes anddislikes including sports, movies, programming, celebrities,commercials, games, or otherwise. Other user preferences are possible.Users can also like or love any media, and this can be visible on theiruser profile and/or visible to other users or friends.

In greater detail, in one exemplary embodiment, the user profileprovides the ability to indicate special interests. In one particularconfiguration, the user profile is used to generate suggested viewing.The user profile provides the ability of a user to indicate particularinterests which may include a particular actor, athlete, programmingtype or otherwise. Based upon the user profile, the media sharing andcommunication system 10 generates a listing of program based upon theuser programming, which may include similar interest such as indicatedactors, athletes, programming type or otherwise. Traditional methodsrequire the user to search for something and then they begin to seeadvertisements directed towards their search. The present inventionreverses this process.

For example, should the user profile indicates a favorite baseballplayer and the particular baseball player is participating in aninterview on one programming channel, such as a finance channel, thesystem 10 would indicate to the user that a player indicated in theiruser profile is on a particular channel providing the ability of theuser to watch or record the particular programming. This concept canalso be applied to actors, movie types, sports, other players,automobile manufactures or otherwise.

The user profile as visible in user interface 32 can further includetabs for trending news, sports, products, or clips of media. The usercan add particular news sources, sports teams, or products they areinterested in, and/or these can be generated based on information in theuser profile. Users can also receive news updates based on theirinterests and preferences (such as finance, sports, local, etc.).

User profiles can also be tailored to a particular age group, such asfor kids, with tailored advertising and suggested media suitable for aparticular age group.

The communication system 10 provides socialization between users. Theindividual user of the user system 14 can send and receive a friendrequest, which must be approved by the recipient (i.e. second usersystem 14), in order to be added to the friend list and receive media.The communication system 10 is further configured to suggest friends orother users that have similar interest so that media can be sent toindividuals, of a user profile friend list, that has similar interests.The communication system 10 further provides the ability to set up anotification that will notify a user when other users are online oroffline. The individual user can also have an open profile option thatallows anyone to follow them or send media, promoting community andmeeting new people. A user can search for friends by name, username,gamer tag, telephone, address, or email that have been used in settingup a user profile.

In one particular exemplary embodiment, the user system 14 is integratedin hardware and/or software components of a cellular phone, i.e.smartphone, or tablet and is accessible to the user in the form of anapplication stored on non-transitory computer readable media or storedin a cloud. For example, the transmitter/receiver 22 comprises atransmitter/receiver 22 used in cellular phones for cellularcommunication. The display screen 24 comprises a screen and userinterface of the cellular phone. Further, the cellular phone includes adigital recording device comprising a memory module for recording media,generating user interfaces, generating messages, combinations thereof orotherwise.

In one particular mode of operation, referring again to FIGS. 1-5,during viewing of media being disseminated from the media contentprovider 12, should the viewer find a particular media content ofinterest, the user records and initiates the user interface 32 to selectother users to which to share the media content with. Optionally, theuser includes a message with the recorded media, such as “check thisout”, “did you see that play”, “best part of the movie”, or otherwise.The recorded media and message are sent to another user system 14,through the media content provider 12 and more specifically receiver 20.Should the recipient be authorized to receive the media and havesufficient memory, the message and media is transferred to the seconduser system 14. A user can also send a message to a second user aboutrecommended programming that the second user may like.

Any commands within the user system 14 can be actuated (received andexecuted) through the voice of the individual users. For example, theindividual user can use a voice command to rewind media, fast forwardmedia, record media, add a message to the recorded media, and send themedia and/or message to another user. Any of the commands can beactuated for a set amount of time determined by the user (such as byseconds (5 seconds, 10 seconds, 25 seconds) or minutes (1 minute, 5minutes, 10 minutes)) at the time the voice command is given. Forexample, the individual user can command “Rewind by 10 seconds andrecord for 25 seconds. Send to Joe.”

In particular, when the message is a voice commentary, this allows theusers (whether sending or receiving) to narrate clips or portions ofmedia and to have open dialogue about particular clips of interest. Thiscan allow the user the opportunity to act as a news anchor or sportscommentator. Voice commentary allows the user to express with greatdetail what that media portion means to them along with why they decidedto send it to a particular user. This can enhance the television viewingexperience with friends and family when users are in two differenthouseholds, and gives the user an opportunity to explain to the otheruser why they feel they should or should not like a show, actor, sportsteam, etc. With the voice commentary, the user can also talk over adesired portion of media, much like a sports commentator or news anchor,and narrate the portion of media.

The present invention creates excitement for the user when a user turnson their user system 14 and is notified that they have messages in theirINBOX from friends and family as in FIG. 5. The present invention helpsreduce channel surfing, because when a user turns on their user system14, they have suggested media to review from their INBOX, as well assuggestions for media to view based on their likes and interests fromtheir user profile, such as an actress they like is on a talk show at acertain time, or their favorite sports team is playing on a particularchannel. Also, the user system 14 can allow for individual users to seewhat their friends are watching, and they can be notified either intheir INBOX or on their display screen 24. This can promote groupwatching where the individual user can start watching a program alongwith their friend or group of friends.

Users can further send messages to other users without a media fileattached with it. For example, a user can send another user a reminderthat a program they like was on earlier, or simply send messages notrelated to media files such as greetings to another user. Users can alsomessage each other while watching a live program, and this providesusers the ability to watch a program together while being in differentlocations. Messages can pop up on their display screen 24 of their usersystem 14 or go directly to their INBOX while watching a live program.

The present invention also provides for a method of sharing portions ofmedia and watching a live program, by a first individual user recordinga portion of media and recording a message (such as video, text, voice,or combinations thereof), transmitting the portion of media and messageto a second individual user if the second individual user is authorizedto view the portion of media, the second individual user viewing theportion of media and message, the first individual user recording amessage during a live program and transmitting the message to the secondindividual user, and the second individual user recording a messageduring the live program and transmitting the message to the firstindividual user. This method can be performed by using the media sharingand communications system 10 described above. More particularly, therecording step is further defined as the first individual user recordinga portion of media with a recording mechanism 26 in a first user system14, the transmitting step is further defined as transmitting the portionof media and message with a first user transmitter/receiver 22 to asecond user transmitter/receiver 22, and the viewing step is furtherdefined as a second individual user viewing the portion of media andmessage with a second user system 14. Any notifications described abovecan be sent to the first individual user or second individual user, suchas notifying the first individual user if the second individual user isnot authorized to view the portion of media. The users can create userprofiles and the user systems 14 can generate suggested programmingbased on the user profile. The method can further include notifying thefirst (or second) individual user of messages in an inbox andsuggestions of programming when the first (or second) user system 14 isturned on. The users can also shop in the store section of the usersystem 14 or list products for sale. The first individual user can alsorecord a video of themselves and share the video with the secondindividual user as described above.

The present invention also provides for method of sharing media by afirst individual user searching for media of program information,programming shows, movies, concerts, sporting events, online games, orcommercials by keywords and selecting a portion of media returned insearch results, the first individual user recording a message of video,text, voice, emojis, images, or combinations thereof, transmitting theportion of media and message to a second individual user if the secondindividual user is authorized to view the portion of media, and thesecond individual user viewing the portion of media and message. Thesearching step is performed with the searching mechanism as describedabove. The first individual user can also record a video of themselvesand share the video with the second individual user as described above.

The present invention also generally provides for a method of sharingportions of media, by a first individual user recording a portion ofmedia and recording a message chosen from the group consisting of video,text, voice, and combinations thereof, transmitting the portion of mediaand message to a second individual user if the second individual user isauthorized to view the portion of media, the second individual userviewing the portion of media and message, the first individual userrecording a message and transmitting the message to the secondindividual user, and the second individual user recording a message andtransmitting the message to the first individual user, wherein any ofthe steps are performed by a voice command. The first individual usercan also record a video of themselves and share the video with thesecond individual user as described above.

Throughout this application, various publications, including UnitedStates patents, are referenced by author and year and patents by number.Full citations for the publications are listed below. The disclosures ofthese publications and patents in their entireties are herebyincorporated by reference into this application in order to more fullydescribe the state of the art to which this invention pertains.

The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is tobe understood that the terminology, which has been used is intended tobe in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present inventionare possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims, the inventioncan be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:
 1. A media sharing and communication system,consisting of: a recording mechanism that records a desired portion ofmedia upon activation by a first individual user who is not a contentprovider, the portion of media being less than a full media episode; afriend request mechanism for sending and receiving friend requestsbetween users to be approved to receive and share media and wherein thefriend request mechanism suggests friends who have similar interests ofthe first individual user, and wherein the friends are searchable byinformation chosen from the group consisting of name, user name, gamertag, telephone, address, and email; a notification mechanism thatnotifies the first individual user of media that their friends arewatching such that the first individual user can start watching themedia along with their friends; a first user transmitter/receiverincluded in a first user system that transmits the portion of media anda message generated by the first individual user regarding the portionof media to a second individual user who is not a content provider,wherein the message includes a text message including emojis and imagefiles, the first user system including a first user interface having aninput device and screen view that is generated by software stored on amemory device of the first user transmitter/receiver, the first usersystem including a user profile generator interface and a store sectionfor shopping for products and listing products for sale, wherein thestore section receives meta data or tagged data from media that isautomatically pushed to the first user system and generates links toproducts in the media for purchase, and wherein the store section allowsfor gifting products to other users, wherein the user profile generatorinterface displays any media that the first user likes or loves and isvisible to friends; a confirmation mechanism that confirms that thesecond individual user is authorized to view the portion of media of areceiver that reviews a viewing package of the second individual userand a notification mechanism that notifies the first individual user ifthe second individual user is not authorized to receive the portion ofmedia and notifies the second individual user that the portion of mediacannot be received due to programming configuration subscribed to by thesecond individual user; a second user transmitter/receiver included in asecond user system that receives the portion of media upon authorizationof the second individual user; the second user system including a seconduser interface having an input device and screen view that is generatedby software stored on a memory device of the second usertransmitter/receiver, the second user system including a user profilegenerator interface and a store section for shopping for products andlisting products for sale, wherein the store section receives meta dataor tagged data from that is automatically pushed to the first usersystem media and generates links to products in the media for purchase,and wherein the store section allows for gifting products to otherusers, wherein the user profile generator interface displays any mediathat the second user likes or loves and is visible to friends; a searchmechanism that allows the first individual user and second individualuser to search by keywords for media and products used in media; and avideo recording mechanism that allows the first individual user torecord a video of themselves and share the video with the secondindividual user, wherein the video recorded is chosen from the groupconsisting of the first individual user reenacting a scene from media,and the first individual user performing a voice over from media,wherein the video recording mechanism is configured to allow the firstindividual user to create challenges with other users to createreenactments chosen from the group consisting of scenes from movies,shows, commercials, and video games, and wherein a smartphone or tabletare used as a remote control allowing messaging and use of emojis withthe first user system and the second user system.
 2. The media sharingand communication system of claim 1, wherein the keywords are chosenfrom the group consisting of identifying information in a scene,landmarks, actor name, director name, type of media, or genre of media,and combinations thereof.
 3. The media sharing and communication systemof claim 2, wherein the media is portions of media saved by anindividual user.
 4. The media sharing and communication system of claim1, wherein the first user system and second user system are capable ofreceiving and executing voice commands chosen from the group consistingof rewinding media, fast forwarding media, recording media, adding amessage to recorded media, and sending media and/or a message.
 5. Themedia sharing and communication system of claim 1, wherein said firstuser system and said second user system are integrated in a smartphoneor tablet and are accessible by using an application stored onnon-transitory computer readable media.
 6. The media sharing andcommunication system of claim 1, wherein the media is chosen from thegroup consisting of program information, programming shows, movies,concerts, sporting events, online games, and commercials.
 7. The mediasharing and communication system of claim 1, wherein the second usertransmitter/receiver includes a recording mechanism that records adesired portion of media upon activation by the second individual userand can transmit the portion of media to the first individual user. 8.The media sharing and communication system of claim 1, wherein the firstuser interface transmits the portion of media to the second usertransmitter/receiver based upon a profile established through a userinterface of the second user transmitter/receiver.
 9. The media sharingand communication system of claim 8, wherein the profile comprisesselect program or program type disseminated by a media content providerand personal information of the user of the first usertransmitter/receiver.
 10. The media sharing and communication system ofclaim 1, wherein the first user transmitter/receiver automaticallyrecords media disseminated by the media content provider based uponpreferences entered into a user profile of the first usertransmitter/receiver.
 11. The media sharing and communication system ofclaim 1, wherein the notification mechanism notifies the firstindividual user, the second individual user, or both, if the second usertransmitter/receiver does not have sufficient memory to receive theportion of media.
 12. The media sharing and communication system ofclaim 1, wherein the message includes a recommendation of a program. 13.The media sharing and communication system of claim 1, wherein themessage is chosen from the group consisting of text, voice, video,emojis, and images.
 14. The media sharing and communication system ofclaim 1, wherein the products are chosen from the group consisting ofproduct directly advertised to the first individual user, products basedon a user profile, products shown in a program, and combinationsthereof.
 15. The media sharing and communication system of claim 1,wherein said user profile generator interface includes an open profileoption such that any individual user can follow and send media to saidfirst individual user.
 16. A method of sharing portions of media,including the steps of: a first individual user recording a portion ofmedia and recording a message including a text message with emojis andimages and wherein the message can further include video, text, voice,and combinations thereof with a first user interface; the firstindividual user liking or loving media, and displaying that they like orlove media on a first user profile; transmitting the portion of mediaand message to a second individual user if the second individual user isauthorized to view the portion of media based on a receiver that reviewsa viewing package of the second individual user; the second individualuser viewing the portion of media and message; the first individual userrecording a video of themselves and sharing the video with the secondindividual user, wherein the video recorded is chosen from the groupconsisting of the first individual user reenacting a scene from media,and the first individual user performing a voice over from media, andthe first individual user to creating challenges with other users tocreate reenactments chosen from the group consisting of scenes frommovies, shows, commercials, and video games; the first individual usershopping for a product in media, and purchasing the product through thefirst user interface wherein a store section receives meta data ortagged data from media that is automatically pushed to the first usersystem by the media and that generates links to products for purchase,the first individual user being able to gift products to other users;and notifying the first individual user of media that their friends arewatching such that the first individual user can start watching themedia along with their friends, wherein a smartphone or tablet are usedas a remote control allowing messaging and use of emojis with the firstuser system and the second user system.
 17. The method of claim 16,wherein each of the steps are performed using an application on asmartphone or tablet stored on non-transitory computer media.
 18. Themethod of claim 16, further including before said first individual userrecording a portion of media step, the step of the first individual usersearching for media chosen from the group consisting of programinformation, programming shows, movies, concerts, sporting events,online games, and commercials by keywords and selecting a portion ofmedia returned in search results.
 19. The method of claim 16, furtherincluding the step of the first individual user searching for a productin media, and purchasing the product through the first user interface.20. The method of claim 16, wherein said recording step is furtherdefined as the first individual user recording a portion of media with arecording mechanism in a first user system, wherein said transmittingstep is further defined as transmitting the portion of media and messagewith a first user transmitter/receiver to a second usertransmitter/receiver, and wherein said viewing step is further definedas a second individual user viewing the portion of media and messagewith a second user system.
 21. The method of claim 16, further includingthe step of notifying the first individual user if the second individualuser is not authorized to view the portion of media.
 22. The method ofclaim 16, further including the step of the first individual usercreating a user profile, and the first user system generating suggestedprogramming based on the user profile.
 23. The method of claim 16,further including the step of notifying the first individual user ofmessages in an inbox and suggestions of programming when the first usersystem is turned on.
 24. The method of claim 16, further including thestep of the first individual user shopping for products from the firstuser interface chosen from the group consisting of product directlyadvertised to the first individual user, products based on a userprofile, products shown in a program, and combinations thereof.
 25. Themethod of claim 16, further including the step of the first individualuser listing products for sale on the first user interface.
 26. A mediasharing and communication system, consisting of: a recording mechanismthat records a desired portion of media upon activation by a firstindividual user who is not a content provider, the portion of mediabeing less than a full media episode; a friend request mechanism forsending and receiving friend requests between users to be approved toreceive and share media and wherein the friend request mechanismsuggests friends who have similar interests of the first individual userand wherein the friends are searchable by information chosen from thegroup consisting of name, user name, gamer tag, telephone, address, andemail; a notification mechanism that notifies the first individual userof media that their friends are watching such that the first individualuser can start watching the media along with their friends; a first usertransmitter/receiver included in a first user system that transmits theportion of media and a message generated by the first individual userregarding the portion of media to a group of individual users who arenot content providers, wherein the message includes a text messageincluding emojis and image files, the first user system including afirst user interface having an input device and screen view that isgenerated by software stored on a memory device of the first usertransmitter/receiver, the first user system including a user profilegenerator interface and a store section for shopping for products andlisting products for sale, wherein the store section receives meta dataor tagged data from media that is automatically pushed to the first usersystem by the media and generates links to products in the media forpurchase, and wherein the store section allows for gifting products toother users, wherein the user profile generator interface displays anymedia that the first user likes or loves and is visible to friends; aconfirmation mechanism that confirms that the group of individual usersare authorized to view the portion of media of a receiver that reviews aviewing package of the group of individual users and a notificationmechanism that notifies the first individual user if any one of thegroup of individual users is not authorized to receive the portion ofmedia and notifies the one of the group of individual users that theportion of media cannot be received due to programming configurationsubscribed to by the one of the group of individual users; a pluralityof user transmitter/receivers included in a plurality of user systemsthat receive the portion of media upon authorization of the group ofindividual users; the plurality of user systems including a plurality ofuser interfaces having an input device and screen view that is generatedby software stored on a memory device of the plurality of usertransmitter/receivers, the plurality of user systems including a userprofile generator interface and a store section for shopping forproducts and listing products for sale, wherein the store sectionreceives meta data or tagged data from media that is automaticallypushed to the first user system by the media and generates links toproducts in the media for purchase, and wherein the store section allowsfor gifting products to other users, wherein the user profile generatorinterface displays any media that the plurality of users like or loveand is visible to friends; a search mechanism that allows the firstindividual user and plurality of individual users to search by keywordsfor media and products used in media; and a video recording mechanismthat allows the first individual user to record a video of themselvesand share the video with the plurality of individual users, wherein thevideo recorded is chosen from the group consisting of the firstindividual user reenacting a scene from media, and the first individualuser performing a voice over from media, wherein the video recordingmechanism is configured to allow the first individual user to createchallenges with other users to create reenactments chosen from the groupconsisting of scenes from movies, shows, commercials, and video games,and wherein a smartphone or tablet are used as a remote control allowingmessaging and use of emojis with the first user system and the pluralityof user systems.